CHAPTER XXIII.
LEAVING MADRID.
As Frank, Ephraim and the Spaniard walked along a quiet street, breathing heavily, Esparto turned to Frank, saying, warmly:
“Young señor, I have you to thank for my life. A knife would have finished me but for you. I am grateful.”
“It is possible I have you to thank for my life,” said the boy. “I had just become aware that my friend and myself were in a very bad scrape when you interested yourself in the affair.”
“Yes, señor. It was very foolish of you to come there.”
“I did not know what sort of a place I was getting into.”
“Gonzalez meant to kill you. To me that was plain, and I sought to give you an opportunity to escape by creating a diversion. I did not look to find myself exposed, but somebody saw my beard was not natural, and it was snatched away. Still, I had many friends there, and I knew it. What I feared was that you would not get out. I looked for you to hasten away, but you remained.”
“I did not feel like getting out and leaving you to be cut to death. I had heard of you.”
“And still Spaniards think Americans have no courage! You had heard of me?”